An invigorated Moroccan team will be seeking to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time in nearly four decades. They can accomplish their mission by either defeating the already ousted Canada or playing out a draw in their final Group F match on Thursday.
Morocco recorded their first World Cup win since 1998 by defeating second-ranked Belgium 2-0 back on Sunday. However, if Canada prevail, Morocco will need Belgium to beat Croatia in the other Group F match, with the goal difference then determining if they or the 2018 runners-up advance. “It will be like playing a final. We hope to fly the flag of African football high,” coach Walid Regragui said on Wednesday.
Regragui is likely to stick with the same team that had featured against the Belgians. If the likes of Abdelhamid Sabiri and Zakaria Aboukhlal continue with the kind of football they had played against Croatia and Belgium, Canada shouldn’t be a problem.